Choreographer Amy Campion Presents 'DIAMONDS,' a Dance/Theater Performance April 28 and 29 at UCLA’s Glorya Kaufman Hall

"DIAMONDS," a hip-hop dance/theater work by choreographer Amy Campion and writer Jesse Bliss, will be presented at 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, April 28 and 29, at UCLA's Glorya Kaufman Dance Theater. Directed by hip-hop artist Rennie Harris, the program is part of the UCLA Department of World Arts and Cultures' M.F.A. Upstarts Series. Tickets cost $15 for general admission and $10 for seniors and students with ID. For reservations, call (310) 825-2101 or go to http://www.tickets.ucla.edu/. Campus parking costs $8 in Lot 4. (Enter the campus at Sunset Boulevard and Westwood Plaza.) For more information, call (310) 825‑3951 or log on to http://www.wac.ucla.edu/.

"DIAMONDS" is the story of two b-girls who struggle to find their truth. A collaboration between Campion (Catfox) and Bliss (Miss Bliss), it is an evolving work that will be further developed for future performances. Directed by Harris, the legendary hip-hop choreographer and Laurence Olivier Award nominee, the work features an original musical score by Devin Williams of Breakestra, Plant Life and Orgone; Romanowski; Crush Delight; and Kelvin Parker of Infant Records. Tony Award nominee Mary Joan Negro served as script and theatrical adviser.

The journey of "DIAMONDS" begins when Miss Bliss, a teaching artist haunted by the suffering of her disadvantaged students and feeling helpless to save them, returns to her old neighborhood looking for solace. She runs into Catfox, her childhood friend, who is hardened by years of struggle. Miss Bliss and Catfox share stories of their experiences through a combination of hip-hop dance, poetry, theater, music and images. Residents of MacArthur Park, where this work was inspired and created, Bliss and Campion bring to light experience with youth incarceration, homelessness, inner city schools and violence against women.

Bliss based "DIAMONDS" on her real-life experiences working with disadvantaged youth as a teacher of theater, poetry and creative writing in San Francisco, New York City and Los Angeles. She blends her skills as an actress, writer, singer and emcee, delivering a performance rich with emotional truth, harsh reality and soul.

Campion brings to "DIAMONDS" an artillery of street dance styles including hip-hop, locking, b-girling (break dancing) and Capoeira (a Brazilian martial art/dance). Working in the tradition of hip-hop, she draws from all these styles to bring the characters in "DIAMONDS" to life through dance. Campion also contributed to the script. She is currently completing her M.F.A. in dance at in the UCLA Department of World Arts and Cultures.

-UCLA-                                                           

CC130